Melvin
Melvin '(メルヴィン ''Meruvuin) is a supporting antagonist in Odin Sphere's story. He is Oswald's foster father, as well as Elfaria's nephew and Mercedes's first cousin. Character Overview Melvin is a duke among Ringford's nobility and one of Elfaria's advisers. She is also Elfaria's nephew through an unknown sibling, making him Mercedes's first cousin. Years before the story started, he discovered Oswald as a baby as the only survivor of an attack on a house in the distant wilderness. Melvin subsequently took him in and raised him, initially as his adoptive son, but to eventually become his Shadow Knight. Appearance Melvin is a tall and considerably handsome young man with long, wavy blonde hair and thin brown eyes. He is visibly slender yet muscular thanks to the manner in which he leaves his shirt and jacket open. The jacket is long and teal green in color with puffy sleeves while his undershirt has a lacy collar and is held at the bottom by two belts. He wears yellow-green striped trousers with similarly colored boots fastened by brown straps and buckles. Like all fairies, he has long pointed ears and has wasp-like wings typical of the male portion of his species. Personality Coming soon! History (Pre-Game) Melvin was born to an unknown sibling of Elfaria's and became her adviser once the inhabitants of Ringford were a unified nation. A fairy in Mercedes's story suggests that, even before Elfaria died, he had ambitions for the throne of Ringford and subsequently made plans to become king over his younger cousin, Mercedes. Some years before Mercedes's birth and possibly before Valentine fell, Melvin stumbled across a house in the distant wilderness where, inside, he found a dying man and his wife. Before his death, the man entrusted his infant son, Oswald, to Melvin, and the duke initially raised Oswald as his son. Melvin, however, eventually decided to use Oswald as a tool in his plans to become king and began training him to become the next Shadow Knight. When the time came, Melvin had Brom forge the Belderiver and offered Oswald's soul to Odette in order give the sword its dark powers. Story Coming soon! Relationships '''Elfaria Melvin served loyally at his aunt's side, although he recognized that Elfaria didn't have the greatest trust in him. He constantly pushed her to mass-produce the Belderiver and became infuriated when she refused to. Before her death, he continued to emphasize that he did care about his family and that he would help her daughter become a good queen. Unfortunately, in the moments before Elfaria was mortally wounded by Odin, he showed cowardice and hid behind her when the Vanir's forward headquarters was attacked instead of protecting her. Following her death, he ultimately betrayed the trust that Elfaria had in him and instigated the rebellion that almost resulted in Ringford's collapse. Mercedes When Mercedes was younger, she often looked up to Melvin as her older brother while Melvin may have viewed her as a younger sister. Unfortunately, come the time when it was apparent Mercedes would eventually take over as queen, Melvin had begun making plans to take the throne from her. Following Elfaria's death, he openly expressed hatred of the idea of Ringford's fate being left in the hands of a "lass" and gathered the fairies who believed that he would be better off taking over Ringford's government in a rebellion. Melvin was not above killing his cousin, although when Mercedes and those loyal to her marched against Melvin's forces, he did offer her the chance to live if she backed down. Shortly before a weakened Oswald arrived, Melvin lamented over how he could have been beaten by such an inexperienced girl as Mercedes. Oswald Brom Official Artwork and Merchandise Manga Melvin.png|Melvin's appearance in the Little Fairy Queen manga Queen Elfaria and Melvin.jpeg|Melvin in his official artwork alongside Elfaria Trivia * Melvin's true name, Nidhogg (Níðhöggr), is the name of the dragon that nibbles at the roots of Yggdrasil in Norse mythology. Nidhogg's name was also where Norse vikings derived the term níð from, which is a social stigma implying the loss of honor and the status of a villain.